On My Mind
10 tips for staying spiritually fit in 2008
By Joseph Dispenza

1. Be quiet. Take a half-hour of silence every day. During that time, don't read, listen to music, or speak. Take a walk in nature, wash dishes, dust, pot plants, play with the dog, shovel snow, do yard work.

2. Sit still. A simple seated meditaton for about five minutes: relax, drop your shoulders, clear your mind, and feel life coursing through you. Know that the life you are feeling is your creative Source. Thank this life within you. Sit for a few minutes, then get up and go about your business.

3. Give up. A time-honored spiritual practice is voluntarily surrendering something in order to create a sense of discipline inside. For a month, give up chocolate or alcohol or bread or snacks. Surrender judgment, sarcasm, flattery or having the last word.

4. Remember who you are. You are a spiritual being living a human experience (not the other way around). Writing a note to yourself to that effect will be a reminder of who you truly are. Put the note above your mirror, on your computer screen, in your purse, briefcase or wallet.

5. Be grateful. Gratitude is the only real prayer. Say “thank you” a thousand times a day. Let it become your mantra: “thank you” for your life, for your health, for your friends and family, for being allowed to make a contribution of yourself to this planet at this important time. Thank you.

6. Do yoga. The practice of yoga is an ancient spiritual activity that calms the mind and expands the soul. If you do not have access to a yoga class or teacher, many yoga magazines and websites can teach you the basic positions. If not yoga, then simple slow body stretches can put you in touch with your spiritual center.

7. Give away. Go through your closet, jewelry box, pantry, or storage boxes with an eye toward thinning out your possessions. Step one: give away things you do not need or use; step two: give away things that are dear to you, but can do without...and would benefit someone else more.

8. Dream on. When you dream, you are in touch with your deepest spiritual nature: both dreams and spiritual visions come from the same place within. Write your dreams down when you awaken from sleep and see what messages your divine unconscious may be communicating to you.

9. Build an altar. Clear off space on a bookshelf and set up a personal shrine. Use the four elements: a rock (earth), a candle (fire), a stick of incense (air), a bowl of water (water). Surround these with photos of yourself, your friends and family, your animal companions, pictures of your hopes and aspirations.

10. Be of service. The authentic spiritual seeker will be of service to others. Look for opportunities to give your time and your talents to make the quality of life better for people around you. Make yourself a splendid, cheerful and open-hearted gift. 

Joseph Dispenza is the author of God On Your Own: Finding a Spiritual Path Outside Religion. He conducts retreats at the LifePath Center in San Miguel www.lifepathretreats.com. 

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